Section Seven

1. Section Seven Victim Safety

2. Language • Victims and survivors • Victims (primarily using female pronouns) • Offenders (primarily using male pronouns) • Laws (rely upon original statutory language) • Use sexual assault when referring to rape and other forms of forced sexual activity.

3. Language referring to the Problem • Sexual Assault-A wide range of victimizations including attacks or attempted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact between victim and offender. Sexual assaults may or may not involve force or include such things as grabbing or fondling. Sexual assault also includes verbal threats

4. Language referring to the Problem • Rape-Forced sexual intercourse including psychological coercion and/or physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s) without consent. This category also includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object. • The terms rape and sexual assault are often used interchangeably even though the definitions are not exactly the same.

5. The “Good” Victim • White attractive female, but not overtly sexy • Few or no previous sexual partners • Assaulted by black male stranger with weapon • Clear signs of physical force and resistance • Assaulted in presumably safe public place such as a park or office building • No alcohol or drugs used by victim • Reports immediately to the authorities • Clearly distraught and upset

6. Sexual Assault Myths • There are many myths surrounding sexual assault. • These preconceptions often interfere with being able to have an appropriate response to victimization. • Remember that these stereotypes may be held by all parties involved including the victim.

7. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #1: Victims who dress provocatively are responsible for their own victimization. Facts: Sexual assault has nothing to do with sexual attraction. The crime is about establishing power and control over a victim. Sexual activity without consent is not excused due to dress or behavior of the victim. The victim is never to blame.

8. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #2: Victims who willingly go home or to a private place with an attacker are to blame for their own victimization. Facts: Even if a victim goes somewhere willingly with an offender, it is not implicit consent for sexual activity. All participants must consent to sexual activity at all times and consent can be revoked. At any time during the sexual event, no means no.

9. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #3: Victims who willingly take alcohol and/or drugs are responsible for their victimization. Facts: The use of alcohol and drugs is not an excuse to engage in non-consenual sexual activity. If a victim is incapacitated due to the use of drugs or alcohol, they are not capable of giving consent.

10. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #4: Sexual assaults are typically committed by someone unknown to the victim. Facts: Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), during 2005, about 7 in 10 female rape or sexual assault victims stated the the offender was an intimate, other relative, a friend or an acquaintance.

11. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #5: All victims respond to being sexually assaulted by becoming hysterical. Facts: Victims respond in a variety of ways to being sexually assaulted. Just as everyone does not respond identically to other traumatic events such as car accidents, all victims do not and should not have a uniform response to victimization.

12. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #6: Sexual assaults typically occur in dark alleys or other dangerous places. Facts: Sexual assaults can occur anywhere. The idea that these crimes occur in dangerous places reinforces the idea that women are more in danger from strangers and that women are to blame for their victimization because they would not be victimized if they did not go to dangerous places.

13. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #7: Victims who are telling the truth, immediately report the assault to the authorities. Facts: For many reasons, victims do not immediately report crimes to the authorities. It is very difficult to speak to someone about such a trauma and many victims never tell anyone. Many women have concerns about being “revictimized” by the system. Most victims never report the crime.

14. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #8: Only young, pretty women are victimized. Facts: Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault. Victims are all ages, races, classes, and genders.

15. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #9: Sexual assault has occurred only if the victim physically resists or fights back. Facts: Sexual assault occur when an offender forces or coerces a victim to engage in sexual activity without the person’s consent. If a victim does not agree to sexual activity, it is crime regardless of their physical resistance to the activities.

16. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #10: Offenders typically use weapons against their victims. Facts: Weapons are rarely used in a sexual assault. During 2005, the NCVS reported that in only 7% of these crimes did the offender use a weapon

17. Sexual Assault Myths Myth #11: Sexual assault is typically an inter-racial crime. Facts: The majority of sexual assaults occur within the victims racial group.

18. Measuring Crime • National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)-completed by the Department of Justice using a random sampling who participate by responding to a questionnaire • Uniform Crime Report (UCR)-compiled by the FBI based on reported crimes across the country • Both instruments are problematic in getting accurate numbers.

19. Incidence vs. Prevalence • Incidence is the number of times an incident occurs within the past year • Prevalence is the number of times an incident occurs within a lifetime • Both the NCVS and the UCR measure incidence, not prevalence • When prevalence is measured, the reported rates of victimization increase because they are reporting victimization over a lifetime

20. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) • Asks the following question of all surveyed: “Incidents involving forced or unwanted sexual acts are often difficult to talk about. Have you been forced or coerced to engage in unwanted sexual activity by--a) someone you didn’t know before, b) a casual acquaintance, or c) someone you know well” • Includes only incidents that happened within the previous 6 months • Many victims/survivors do not wish to disclose to a strangers United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/welcome.html.

21. Uniform Crime Report (UCR) • UCR is a voluntary city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement program that provides a nationwide view of crime • Reports include only crimes that are reported to the police • Most sexual assault victims do not report the crime United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States, 2005, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/.

22. Sexual Assault Statistics • Total Incidents of Sexual Assault/Rape (2005) • NCVS-188,960 • UCR-93,934 • Stranger vs. Nonstrangers (NCVS) • Strangers-34.9% • Nonstrangers-65.1% • Reported to police (NCVS) • Reported-38.3% • Not reported-61.7%

23. Sexual Assault and Gender Statistics • Victim Gender • NCVS • Male-7.9% • Female-92.1% • Offender Gender • NCVS* • Male-97.8% • Female-2.2% * Applies to single-offender crimes

24. Tennessee Statistics (2006) • Sexual Assault Reported (TBI) • Forcible Rape-2165 • Forcible Sodomy-425 • Sexual Assault w/ and object-269 • Forcible Fondling-2251 • Total-5110

25. Stopping Sexual Assault • There are two models for sexual assault education and response • The goal of these models is to stop sexual assault before it ever happens. • Risk Reduction • Prevention

26. Risk Reduction • Risk reduction is based on the theory that potential victims should be educated and take measures to prevent their victimization • Self-defense classes • Avoiding dangerous areas • Carrying forms of self-protection such as pepper spray

27. Risk Reduction Criticism • While taking these measures is a viable means to feel empowered and less vulnerable, most in the field believe that by putting the responsibility of preventing sexual assault on the victim, the following happens: • Victims are blamed for their own victimization (ex. “If she just hadn’t gone there, it wouldn’t have happened”) • It does not hold perpetrators responsible for stopping their illegal own actions • It is not effective because regardless of any measures that are taken, an offender can still commit their crimes. Nothing can guarantee someone’s safety

28. Prevention • Prevention is based on the theory that the only way to prevent violence against women is to educate everyone with the goal of cultural change and encouraging bystander intervention • Most people have moved to this model because it puts the responsibility of stopping sexual assault on society as a whole and does not blame victims

29. Cultural change • Victim blaming-Our culture consistently blames victims for their own victimization making it less likely for victims to come forward and perpetrators to be held accountable • Dehumanization of women-Our culture dehumanizes women by turning them into objects instead of persons in their own right. In doing so, it makes it more acceptable to commit violence against them • Prevention attempts to change these aspects of our culture through education

30. Bystander Approach • A bystander is someone who can intervene in a specific violent incident or intervene when they witness the perpetuation of violence against women through acts such as victim blaming • Interventions • Calling the police • Stopping an incident before it takes place • Asking others not to engage in victim blaming • Asking others not to engage in language or actions that dehumanize women

31. Prevention criticisms • Education and cultural change are slow processes that do not remedy the immediate situation • While bystander interventions may stop on assault against one potential victim, it does not always stop the offender from seeking out other victims